1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to scissors and, more particularly, to scissors for cutting sutures a predetermined distance above a knot.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In different types of surgical procedures, it is advantageous to have the sutures cut a predetermined distance above the knots. The predetermined distance varies, depending on the type of surgical procedure involved. For example, in plastic surgery, where there may be numerous fine sutures, a surgeon may prefer to have the sutures cut about two millimeters above the knot. In other types of surgery, a surgeon may prefer to have the sutures cut about four millimeters above a knot. In still other types of surgery, where the presence of the suture is not a particular problem, a surgeon may prefer to have the sutures cut about eight millimeters above the knot, or above the skin.
At the present time, there are no scissors available that will cut a suture consistently the same distance above a knot. Rather, the sutures are simply snipped or cut after "eyeballing" the length of the suture above the knot or skin.
While there have been different types of scissors in the prior art which include a slot or similar element for holding an element to be cut, or for snipping an element to be cut in a particular manner, the problem of cutting sutures a predetermined distance above a knot has not been addressed, in so far as is known. Moreover, the slots or receiving elements haven't been aligned with the longitudinal axis of the scissors blade for ease of aligning the scissors with sutures to be cut and for maximum visibility. With respect to the latter point, the knots and sutures are always readily visible in the apparatus of the present invention, and they are held generally perpendicularly to the cutting blade element. None of these features are found in the prior art. Accordingly, the apparatus of the present invention addresses and solves the problems of holding sutures and of consistently the cutting sutures a predetermined distance above their knots.
U.S. Pat. No. 257,982 (Schmidt) discloses snipping scissors at the front end of nippers designed to open bottles. The apparatus includes a squeezing element for removing corks from bottles, as from champagne bottles, and nipping scissors are located in the front of the apparatus for cutting wire and twine.
U.S. Pat. No. 576,050 (Ford) discloses shears in a combination tool. The shears include notches that cooperate with blades. The notches hold cords to be cut. The tool is a combination tool, and the combination includes a hammer, a screw driver, as well as scissors.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,274,669 (Bohn) discloses a surgical instrument designed for cutting portions of bone cartilage, etc., within the nose. The apparatus includes a tube, and cutter elements extend through the tube, and outwardly from the tube, for cutting.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,038,916 (Vorwerk) discloses bag opening scissors which include teeth elements designed to lift stitches of a bag and to hold the stitches while a blade cuts them. The teeth elements extend perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of a scissor blade and they are aligned with the scissor blade so that stitches being held by the teeth are cut when the opposite blade of the scissor contacts them.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,103,597 (Ravenscroft) discloses a cable cutter apparatus. The cable cutter apparatus includes a notch for holding a cable cut by a blade element.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,374,795 (Williams) discloses scissors apparatus with a notched extension. The apparatus comprises two separate elements combined into one apparatus, but there is no cooperation between the two elements. The extension does not hold elements to be cut by the scissors.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,009 (Haga) discloses a multi-function sewing implement that includes a scissor portion and a notched extension element. There is a cutting blade on the notched extension element, but there is no cooperation between the scissors element and the notched extension.
The apparatus of the present invention includes a notch on one blade of a scissors for receiving and holding sutures to be cut by a cutting blade. The notched blade has a predetermined thickness so that the bottom of the blade may be disposed on a knot, and the cutting blade will then cut the sutures above the knot a predetermined distance in accordance with the thickness of the holding blade.